The hormone produced in primarily the testicles of men and the ovaries & adrenal glands of women, is termed as Testosterone. The hormone plays an integral role in the development of the male body and/or the masculine characteristics in both genders. Women produce much less of the hormone in comparison to men.
The production rate of Testosterone is increased by around 30 times during adolescence and in early adulthood, beyond which the levels tend to keep dropping slightly with each passing year. Despite being rare, high testosterone levels can occur, due to medical conditions and/or Testosterone Replacement Therapies.
Benefits of High Testosterone Levels | Drawbacks of High Testosterone Levels |
High Testosterone levels help in maintaining a healthy heart and blood | Acne or Oily Skin is a common side effect |
They lead to more muscle and less fat | High Testosterone Levels can cause Prostate Enlargement |
High Testosterone levels can build stronger bones | Fluid Retention in the body is increased |
Better verbal memory, spatial abilities, or mathematical reasoning | Sperm Count can get reduced |
High Testosterone Levels cause a better libido | Can lead to an excessive increase in RBC Count |
High Testosterone Levels can improve your mood | |
High Testosterone Levels heighten our competitiveness | |
Advantages of High Testosterone Levels
- Healthy heart and blood :
Testosterone helps in the production of red blood cells in the body through your bone marrow. The heart then pumps the blood throughout the rest of your body giving the muscles and the organs the oxygen that they need to function properly. Low levels of testosterone have actually been linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease in the body.
- Less fat, more muscle :
Testosterone helps in increasing muscle mass in your body. When your body Mass is lean, it can assist you in controlling your weight and increasing your energy. Studies have shown that men who were diagnosed with low testosterone levels, saw an increase in muscle size and even strength (in some cases), when they underwent treatment to increase their testosterone levels.
- Stronger bones :
Testosterone levels play a massive role in maintaining the mineral density in bones. In case your testosterone levels drop, so will your bone density. Thus high levels of testosterone are directly proportional with lesser risks of Osteoporosis and other bone integrity related diseases and weaker bones. Good bone density is essential to support your internal organs and your muscles.
- Better verbal memory, spatial abilities, or mathematical reasoning :
Research has shown that higher levels of testosterone in the body will act as a roadblock for Alzheimer’s Disease, especially in men. New evidence has come up which suggests thinking abilities, for example verbal memory and processing speeds have a direct correlation with testosterone levels. Testosterone treatment has shown improvement in adult makes regarding spatial memory.
- Better libido :
A rise in testosterone levels in the body is natural with sexual arousal and/or sexual activities. Higher levels of testosterone in men generally equate to greater sexual prowess. Studies have shown that increases in your Testosterone levels can benefit your sexual performance and sexual health. For erectile function or for libido, in older men, higher levels of testosterone are extremely necessary.
- Improved mood :
Studies have shown that high testosterone levels are associated with a high quality life. In case of your testosterone levels being low, you can fall pretty to irritability, annoyance, fatigue, depression, etc. As a result pumping testosterone into the body through artificial or natural methods has shown to act as a very effective form of antidepressant
treatment.
- Increases Competitiveness :
One of the main factors behind our competitiveness and natural drive to win(especially in men), is Testosterone. It is linked with our desire to acquire a high status and lots of power. Testosterone has been proved to increase muscle mass and haemoglobin, quicken reactions, improve visual quality, increase endurance and indomitability, etc. In short, it heightens our “gameness”.
Disadvantages of High Testosterone Levels
- Acne or Oily Skin :
Excessively high levels of testosterone have shown to manifest in high sebum production. Sebum is the oily and yellowish secreted by the sebaceous glands, present on almost all the surfaces of your body. Increased sebum means a high risk of inflammation of sebaceous glands. This may trigger acne outbreaks, eg. Rising testosterone levels during puberty causes frequent acne outbreaks.
- Prostate Enlargement :
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia(BPH), or Prostate Enlargement / Prostate Swelling, as it is more commonly known, has gone on to become one of the most common diseases in the aged male population of many countries across the globe, like the United States of America. Several studies have come up which prove that an overabundance of testosterone is the prime culprit.
- Fluid Retention :
Edema is swelling in the body, caused by fluid buildup. High testosterone levels have been found to be a major cause of this. It can result in your heart becoming unable to maintain proper blood flow to all parts of your body, in case you have any kind of a heart or kidney or liver disease(Congestive Heart Failure).
- Decrease in Sperm Count :
One major side effect of having high testosterone levels is a rapid decrease in sperm count leading to infertility. Increasing testosterone, often causes a decrease in the levels of a hormone called Follicle Stimulating hormone or FSH, which is of utmost importance for stimulation of sperm production. This is why infertility is a common side effect of testosterone treatments.
- Increase in Red Blood Cells :
High Testosterone levels often lead to a huge increase in your Red Blood Cell(RBC) Count. Now even though generally having a good RBC Count is healthy for your body, an excessive RBC Count can cause a series of disastrous medical conditions. High RBC Counts can lead to Heart Failure and can cause your blood oxygen level to plummet.
Testosterone is an extremely important hormone in our bodies. The levels of this hormone can severely affect how we function and feel. Having high levels of testosterone does have it’s own set of drawbacks, but we cannot do without it. So if you feel your hormones to be out of balance, contact your doctor immediately.
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